Fleet Foxes???

[MD]

Anyone listen to them???

http://www.amazon.com/Fleet-Foxes/dp/B0017R5UAA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220501518&sr=8-1

"White Winter Hymnal" sounds really good...

[Loaf]

There was a short interview in MOJO magazine a few months ago, accompanying the 5* review of the album, and the lead singer/songwriter said that it was Smile bootlegs that really turned him on to how spiritual and religious music can be. He e-mailed Van Dyke Parks and said he got a nice response from him.

I have a lovely LP vinyl version of the album that came with their Sun Giant EP on 12" vinyl in a gatefold package. Beautiful artwork (bruegel, i think).

Sounds like a cross between Smile, David Crosby's 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' and Harry Smith's Anothology of American FOlk Music. if this sounds an appealing combination, i suggest you check it out.

My favourite songs are Mykonos and White Winter Hymnal. Sheer perfection.

[shelter]

I was just about to start a thread about this band, then I saw there already was one.

I heard the song “He Doesn’t Know Why” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjgkRoPLYRk ) on the radio last week and ordered the CD the same day. It’s excellent. Sounds a bit like early 70s Beach Boys but a bit darker and folkier.

They mention the songs "Feel Flows" and "Surf's Up" in the liner notes, BTW.

[Bean Bag]

Yes!  I just got both of their releases "Sun Giant (EP) and "Fleet Foxes."

Both are excellent.  Beautiful songs, great melodies.  Very lush harmonies and productions.

I can't imagine you guys wouldn't dig it-it's very classic Brian Wilson with a very CSN bent.  The only criticism would be, coming from the BW/Beach Boys camp, you expect PERFECTION in vocals.  There's a few flat vocals here and there and everything's bathed in reverb.  But that's just nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking.  Overall -- this is a great, great find...and wonderful news!

[The Heartical Don]

Their guitarist is called Skyler Skjelset.

I will bear that in mind for the next time I will play Scrabble.

[DSamore]

Fleet Foxes are excellent. One of the finest new bands to come about.

[daverockz]

yeah! that's like the best off of the album! the rest is still pretty good!

[Rocker]

I think Al raved about them in Rolling Stone, right?
I like their stuff but don't think that they will make it big

[phirnis]

Sounds like a cross between Smile, David Crosby's 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' and Harry Smith's Anothology of American FOlk Music. if this sounds an appealing combination, i suggest you check it out.

If I Could Only Remember My Name - now that's a one-of-a-kind album, most certainly among my very favourite records by anyone.

Have yet to give those Fleet Foxes a try. I've been reluctant to check out any contemporary groups influenced by the Beach Boys as when I did it occasionally, I ended up disappointed and found myself listening to the real deal instead within a matter of minutes. If Alan Jardine likes that group himself, however, I will probably give them a chance.

[the captain]

You'll have better luck if you listen to bands more on their own terms. Keep in mind that influenced by or even similar to should only take things so far. If you want (for example) a Beach Boys soundalike, just put in a Beach Boys record and don't even think of taking it farther: nobody does a better Beach Boys than them, and the same for any other band you like.

As for Fleet Foxes, though ... I can't say I think they're all that interesting. Not bad, not great. Sort of a late 00s version of Beachwood Sparks, who had a similar vibe (and semi-underground push) a decade ago.

[WWDWD?]

2 minutes and 29 seconds into the Fleet Foxes song "Quiet Houses" and it sounds like you are listening to SMiLE!
Please check it out... it's great!

[Jonas]

yeah, thats the best part of that song...i'd associate it more to Pet Sounds than SMiLE though...

[Alex]

White Winter Hymnal is great!!

[Sand in the toes]

The Fleet Foxes album is the best album CSN& Y never released if you get my drift!

[phirnis]

Just heard two songs of theirs for the very first time, "White Winter Hymnal" and "He Doesn't Know Why". Have to say I really like this and I can definitely hear traces of the David Crosby album.

Never thought I'd come to like a group that got so much praise from Pitchfork.

[the captain]

Pitchfork is just a bunch of trendmongers like anyone else. If a band like Fleet Foxes is creeping up as Next Big (relatively speaking) Thing, p4k will jump on. They'll be just as quick to jump off. (See: Tapes 'n' Tapes) If I'm not mistaken, they were also big fans of now defunct (but similar in many ways) Beachwood Sparks. When the indies are using that California canyon sound, p4k loves it. When they're doing something else, p4k loves that. Whatever is necessary to project an "ahead-of-the-game" image, they'll do. Which is fine. Whatever.

[The Heartical Don]

Pitchfork is just a bunch of trendmongers like anyone else. If a band like Fleet Foxes is creeping up as Next Big (relatively speaking) Thing, p4k will jump on. They'll be just as quick to jump off. (See: Tapes 'n' Tapes) If I'm not mistaken, they were also big fans of now defunct (but similar in many ways) Beachwood Sparks. When the indies are using that California canyon sound, p4k loves it. When they're doing something else, p4k loves that. Whatever is necessary to project an "ahead-of-the-game" image, they'll do. Which is fine. Whatever.

Sounds familiar. The NME did that a thousand times. Rave review, hatchet job. I think their latest trend was 'Romo' (their name for the New Romantics, lame copyists of the old Romantics like Spandau Ballet (argh... the horror, the horror...). They had a way with selling records by the use of words, I must grant them that. But they also had the most confusing and indecipherable writers, like Paul Morley and Ian Penman. Sort of postmodern (Pomo?) wordsmiths. 

In the end, I prefer the Lomo.

[Aegir]

Fleet Foxes are good. But they do not sound like the Beach Boys.

[The Heartical Don]

Fleet Foxes are good. But they do not sound like the Beach Boys.

How is their reissue of the first album, the double CD? Anyone know?

[punkinhead]

when i promote Fleet Foxes to someone, I tell them it's shades of Beach Boys + CSN + Simon/Garfunkel

[Aegir]

Fleet Foxes are good. But they do not sound like the Beach Boys.

How is their reissue of the first album, the double CD? Anyone know?

The 2 CD version is the regular album on the first disc and the EP (Sun Giant) on the second disc.

[The Heartical Don]

Fleet Foxes are good. But they do not sound like the Beach Boys.

How is their reissue of the first album, the double CD? Anyone know?

The 2 CD version is the regular album on the first disc and the EP (Sun Giant) on the second disc.

Ah... cheers. Now I can order with confidence!

[B-Rex]

I'm a bit perplexed at how some can say Fleet Foxes are just okay.  I feel that they are among the best out there.  Some others are Muse and the Dresden Dolls, but that's another story.  Both the album and EP are truly extraordinary!  The "Winter Beach Boys" moniker is quite accurate.  To me, they put post Holland BB's to shame.  I guess I have to check out more CSN.  I only know the hits.

[the captain]

To me, they put post Holland BB's to shame. 

That's not exactly hard to do--another few hundred bands could say the same thing.

[Zander]

The album was good but to me their in the realms of The Thrills or The Magic Numbers - that is they're touted as the "new" Beach Boys but are basically one trick ponies. Yes, their vocals are excellent but they like the Thrills and the Magic Numbers simply do not cut it live. I went to see the Foxes at the Manchester Apollo last month and an hour into their 2 1/2 hour set it began to get boring. Every song sounded the same as the last and none of tunes other than "WW Hymnal" got the crowd buzzing.

Try listening to "Our Prayer" for 2 1/2 hours solid is pretty much the experience of seeing the Fleet Foxes live - not that there's anything wrong with Our Prayer but you get the idea.....

Very disappointing live group.